In 2024, Durham, NC, sees a predominant reliance on cars for commuting, with a significant 90.9% of residents choosing this mode of transport. Public transportation, particularly buses, accounts for a smaller share of the commuting landscape, representing 9.1% of the total.

Average Commute Times

The average commute involves 20.09 minutes of driving, with minimal waiting and walking times.
  • Bus - Bus commuters spend about 5 minutes on the bus, with additional time spent waiting and walking.
  • Car - Car commuters experience an average driving time of 22.1 minutes, with a short walking time of 1.2 minutes.
Traffic Breakdown
Car
91%
Bus
9%
Seasonal Trends

Traffic tends to increase during the fall as students return to universities, impacting commute times. Winter months see a slight decrease in traffic due to holiday breaks and adverse weather conditions.

Commuter Pain Points

Heavy reliance on cars leads to congestion during peak hours, especially on major highways. Limited public transport options can result in longer wait times and less convenience for non-car users.

Best Travel Times

Commuters are advised to travel before 7 AM or after 9 AM to avoid peak traffic congestion. Evening commutes are less congested after 7 PM.

Event Impacts

Public events, such as university sports games and festivals, can significantly increase traffic in downtown Durham. Planning travel around these events can help avoid delays.

Sustainability Efforts

Durham is exploring the expansion of bike lanes and pedestrian pathways to promote eco-friendly commuting. The city is also considering investments in electric bus fleets to reduce carbon footprints.

Ride-Sharing Impact

Ride-sharing services have eased some congestion by reducing the number of cars on the road. However, they also contribute to traffic during peak hours as drivers wait for passengers.

Worldwide
United States

Traffic Rankings

The Traffic Index for the United States combines user-contributed data on commute times, traffic dissatisfaction, CO2 emissions, and traffic system inefficiencies in United States, to provide insights into overall traffic conditions.

Worst to BestUpdated: Dec, 2024
Full Traffic Rankings

Traffic Data

The following traffic data has been gathered from 11 user contributions.
Overall average travel
Distance
9.2 miles
Walking
1.3 mins
Waiting
0.3 mins
Driving Car
20.1 mins
Bus / Trolley
0.5 mins
Other
0.2 mins
Total:
22.3 mins
Average when primarily using Bus
Distance
1.0 miles
Walking
2.0 mins
Waiting
3.0 mins
Bus / Trolley
5.0 mins
Other
2.0 mins
Total:
12.0 mins
Average when primarily using Car
Distance
10.0 miles
Walking
1.2 mins
Driving Car
22.1 mins
Total:
23.3 mins
Durham Traffic

"Key Takeaways"

Increasing the share of public transportation could significantly reduce CO2 emissions.

Improving bus service frequency and coverage might attract more commuters away from car usage.

Key Indexes

Emissions

Durham's CO2 emissions index is notably high at 5366, reflecting the heavy reliance on car travel.

Efforts to reduce emissions could focus on increasing public transport usage.

Time

The average time index is 22.27, indicating moderate commute times across the city.

Car travel dominates, suggesting potential for congestion during peak hours.

Inefficiency

The inefficiency index stands at 102.67, highlighting areas for improvement in traffic flow.

Investments in infrastructure could alleviate bottlenecks and improve efficiency.